- The North will vote for Atiku Abubakar in 2023
- But Wants APC to present a southern presidential candidate
- Wants rotational presidency among geopolitical zones to continue
- Insists both Atiku and Tinubu would be better than Buhari as president
Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, a former Liaison Officer to former President Shehu Shagari at the weekend described both Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, as potential 2023 presidential contenders who stand a chance come 2023 but hinted that the north may queue behind Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should the former Vice President to former President Olusegun Obasanjo represent himself in 2023 elections.
Yakassai, who spoke during an interview at his residence in Kano, admired the presidential ambition of Tinubu who is being touted for 2023. However, while he expressed optimism that the All Progressive Congress (APC) national leader would make a better president than the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, he predicted that Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the PDP in 2019, will defeat, Senator Tinubu should their parties present them as presidential candidates in the next general election.
According to him the principle of zoning and rotation must be seen as is very important in Nigerian politics as long as the country is operating the presidential system of government. He added, “This is particularly because the concentration of power lies with the Federal Government and the presidency. It would be inappropriate to attempt to run the presidency by a single region for more than eight years.”
Yakassai said Atiku and Tinubu will make “better” presidents but Atiku stands a better chance than Tinubu because of the numerical strength of the North. He cited the former vice president’s nationwide political, social and business network, arguing that “if Atiku is contesting, the majority of the votes from the North will go to him,” which is however, a contradiction his position that it would be wrong for one region to hold on to the presidency consecutively for more than eight years.
He warned the ruling party against zoning the presidency to the North, saying that since Buhari is in his second term, which will terminate in 2023, “it is only fair for the APC to shop for a presidential candidate from the South.”
